Foundation construction



Feb. 7, 1939.

w. J. NEWMAN FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 27, 195e.

zus l l Patented Feb. 7, 1939 ULNLITED' GFFLCPE FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION William 1.1. Newman, lcamere-n1.

Application .January 27, l1,9315, ,S,r iel No. 60,910

' 5fc1aims. (ol. 6 1-57) This invention-relatesto animproved method Central lug or `projection Swhich fits freely withandmeansfor constructingconcrete. columns or intheend of thepipe 'l and has a groove I0 for foundation members inthe earth. .I am aware receiving theend of the pipe. I provide a temthat heretofore Vvarious types of pre-formed perery on releasablefastening means'` to hold the .concrete pileshave been used and in some inhead or driving point ytemporarilyon the pipe 5 stances piling she1l s.or t ubes haveqbeen driven as it is being lowered into position and until in-theg-round and'filled with concreteifor founsufcient pressure ,imay be applied thereto to dation', purposes but such `devices have not proven holdthese parts together. This comprises a cord `satisfactoryfor various conditionsifor which the I I having one endV I -Zprovidedwith a knot or enpresent inventonis particularly applicable. largement Which engages With a reeess in the l0 In accordance with the present invention, I Side-@faille vdriviliglleed- The 60rd then DaSSeS drive a tube or pipegin the ground using fluid Ythrpugha hole I 3 in; the head/which leads to the underpressure or compressed air to assist in the groove III so that the cord may pass vunder the driving operation or penetration of the driving end of 'l the pipe ,as shownand be vwound around tool and subsequently withdraw the tube and'll vand tiedfto the pipe. This vwill hold the head 1 5 the hole .and adjacent areas with concrete, using until Sufeiellt fOrCeiS exerted On'ihe pipe 'U0 eut compressed air toforce the concreteagainst'the `0r Wear off the cord orvroDepaSSing underneath .walls of the hole or into the adjacent surfaces in the Seme, Which will then -release v.the head. accordance with the nature of the; earth infwhich In `Order toprovide, fluid or air pressure, each go the foundation or post isbeing made other section ofpipe has a hole I4 for receiving a con- 2o features of the'invention will bemore fully dis- IleCIJiOrl :With an Yair Supply hOSe1|5 and these eiosedin-theafouomng specification and the ob- ;holes maythenbe plugged byfmeans 0f plugs I6 jects thereof will also -more fully ,appeanthe 21S r additional sections :are addedand new conprincipal object however being to provide an imneetiens are made With the pipe. The driving 25 proved lmethod of constructing underground heedfist'providedywithsuitable holeSOr DerfOra- 25 foundation members and means-for use in con- GiOIJS '170 permit the air t0 pass dOWIl therenection with such method irl-order toaccomplish through and Out around the point t0 100Ser1 01 the desired results, act upon the soil as it isr being penetrated by the In the accompanying drawingillustrating this POiilt- `For instance .a `central hOle Il may eX- invention, tend down through the -driving head and connect 30 Figurel is a side'view with parts vbroken away .WtlriirallSVerSe hOleS IB leading t0V the Outer Suror sho-wn in section illustrating the driving ofthe feee- 'I'hS ..arrangement provides for dischargpipeA or tube into thegrounkd; irlg .airadjacent to the extreme point and at the Figure 2 is `an enlarged sectional View showing Saline timethe holes are not apt to become plugged the positioning of the refenforcement members asfthe pointis `being-drivenntothe earth. 35 and the placing of concrete-inthe hole; The pipe` sections 1 .are threaded to engage Figure 3 is a vdetail illustrating one form of With.eOuplingsfI,;9-which @are provided with in- .device for forcing the concrete intothe pipe; Werdly-extending-peripheral shoulders 20 for er1- Figure 4 is a sectional view-showing the comgagement Withetheend surfaces of the pipe so o p1eted foundation member or post; that the driving'force will be transmitted through 4o liigure is atop plan view of the driving head the Couplings Without undue yStrain on the or point; and threads.

Figure 6 is .aseotional viewtakenontheline i'ITheupPermOSt end A0r Section 0f pipe has a 6 6 of FigurepZ. driving cap or plugZI which is threaded to enil As shown in the drawing, the driven member gage with the coacting coupling member I9 and 45 comprises a series of sections of pipe or tubing `1 which is shouldered at V22 to engage with the whiehmay be of any desired size, a convenient annular Shoulders or projections 20 as shown size for various purposes comprising ten inch in-'Figure 2. pipe. "The driving head 8 is in the form of a iWhenan opening or yholeis to be made in the truncated cone with the base or largest diameter ground the first section 'l Ais attached to the driv- 5o somewhat larger than vthe outer diameter of the ing point=8 and the plugor cap-2l isapplied therepipe 'l so that the head or point will make a hole to and Atheair hose lconnected therewith. The of suficient size to permit the pipe to pass freely pipe is then driven by means of any suitable therethrough and to tend to prevent binding of hammer 30 such as a steam pile driver or the like.

the soil on the pipe. The driving head 8 has a As the driving point 8 passes through the soil the 55 fluid or air under pressure tends to force the soil away around the outlets of the holes I8 and to loosen the same around the entire point, thus facilitating the driving operation. Any desired fluid may be used but I have found air to be preferable as it may be supplied in a practical manner at relatively high pressures. While any desired pressure may be utilized I have found in actual practice that a pressure of one hundred pounds per square inch is satisfactory for ordinary conditions. It will of course be understood that the pipe is of sufiicient weight or weighted so that it will not berraised by the pressure thereagainst as for instance when being driven through wet sand or earth or when the hole is kept filled with water. The hammering of the lower edge of the pipe on the cord Il will sever the same so that the driving point will be freed from the pipe when the pipe is to be raised.

After the hole as indicated at 23 has beenl formed to the desired depth, re-inforcing rods or any suitable re-inforcing members 24 are positioned within the pipe 'l as shown in Figure 2, preparatory to placing the concrete in the hole. The concrete may be supplied in any desired manner and as illustrative of such means I have shown a drum or receptacle 25 into which batches of concrete may be placed and which is supplied with an inlet 26 for an air hose 2l for supplying air under Ypressure to force the concrete through the pipe and into the hole. The drum or receptacle 25 is connected by means of a pipe 28 with an inlet opening 29 in the cap or plug 2l wherebi7 the concrete will be carried from the drurn into the pipe and will pass down through the pipe to the bottom thereof. The pipe or casing 'l will be gradually withdrawn fromthe hole 23 and the concrete will beV forced out at the bottom under high pressureV as supplied by the air so that the concrete will be pushed against the sides of the hole and if there are any weak sections in the wall, as for instance would be occasioned by sand strata or pockets, the concrete will be forced outwardly, thus enlarging the opening or hole as indicated in Figure 2, so that when the pipe has been fully withdrawn, the hole will be filled with concrete resting on the driving point 8 and providing a re-inforced column of irregular outline or periphery which is securely bound to the earth throughout the entire length thereof. The word concrete is used to indicate any suitable plastic composition adapted for the purposes indicated and in some cases grouting or cement may be injected into the hole under pressure to fill up voids in sand or gravel which may be encountered during the driving of the hole.

From this description it will be readily understood that I accomplish the above indicated objects and provide means for foundation construction whereby columns or supports may be formed in the earth and which will have greater supporting capacity than ordinary smooth surfaced piles. Furthermore my improved methods may be utilized for forcing concrete, cement or grouting into different strata in the earth to stop leakages or to provide wall-like structures for retaining purposes as will be readily understood by those familiar with such constructions. In fact I have found this process particularly useful in making supports or walls in the nature of bulkheads in sand, quick-sand, silt or like soils. Although I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and one which I have used in actual practice, it will be noted that changes may be made in the method or apparatus to provide for different conditions or to construct different forms of supports, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown and described except as specified in the following claims, in which I claim:

1. The method of constructing underground foundations which consists in driving a single pipe closed at its upper end and, having a perforated driving point, into the ground, and simultaneously forcing air through the pipe and point to the outer surface of the point to loosen the ground, then withdrawing the pipe leaving the point in position and using the pipe as a tremie for introducing concrete into the hole.

2. The method of forming underground foundation members which consists in driving a pipe having a perforated driving point and a closed upper end, into the ground, and simultaneously forcing air under relatively high pressure through the pipe and point until a hole of the desired depth is formed, then connecting the pipe with a ceptacle having concrete therein, introducing air under pressure into the receptacle to force the concrete down through the pipe and against the adjacent surfaces of the hole and gradually withdrawing the pipe as the hole is lled with concrete, said concrete and air also serving to force out any water or muck which may remain in the hole after it has been driven.

3. The method of constructing underground foundation posts which consists in driving a pipe having a detachable perforated driving point at its lower end and a closing cap at its upper end into the ground and simultaneously forcing air under approximately one hundred pounds pressure per square inch into the pipe and through said perforations, then detaching the air supply and placing reinforcing members in the pipe, then connecting the pipe with a source of concrete and forcing the concrete through the pipe under pressure, and gradually withdrawing the pipe whereby the concrete will be forced into intimate contact with the walls of the hole and into any irregularities along the periphery of the hole, as described.

4. The herein described method which comprises providing a driving pipe having a perforated driving point and having means for closing its upper end, driving said pipe into the ground by means of a hammer while simultaneously forcing fluid under high pressure through the pipe and point until a hole of the desired depth is formed and finally withdrawing the pipe and lling the hole with concrete, said concrete also being introduced through the pipe into the hole under pressure whereby it will be forced into intimate contact with the walls of the hole.

5. The herein described method for constructing underground concrete bodies which includes as one step driving a pipe having a perforated driving point at its lower end and closed at its upper end, into the ground and simultaneously forcing fluid under relatively high pressure through the pipe and through said perforations, said fluid serving to loosen the soil and force the same upwardly around the point as the pipe is being driven.

- WELIAM J. NEWMAN. 

